Vacuum-cleaner bag emptying device



July 21, 1942. w. LEATHERS VACUUM CLEANER BAG EMPTYING DEVICE Filed Junel5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 21, 1942. w. LEATHERS VACUUM CLEANER BAGEMPTYING DEVICE 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed June l5, 1940 clll Patented July2l, 1942 VACUUM-CLEANER BAG EMPTYING DEVICE Ward Leathers, `Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Quadrex Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation ofDelaware Application June 15, 1940, Serial No. 340,707

1 Claim.

The present invention pertains to the class of device wherein the dirtis removed from a vacuum-cleaner bag Without removal of the bag from thecleaner.

Its primary object is to enable the operator to maintain a substantiallyclean bag which adds so materially to the efficiency of the cleaner, theobject being that of maintaining a comparatively empty bag by making itextremely easy to remove the dirt from the bag when a reasonable amountof dirt has accumulated, rather than a bag full or near full, whichcauses such heavy and functionally destructive back-pressure on themotor-blower.

In order to obtain such advantage, it is necessary that this smalleramount of dirt be removed from the bag with great ease and convenience,and above all, totally free from dust dissemination.

'I'he object of this invention is to obtain such results. It makes itpossible to attach a dirtreceiver or receptacle to the under side of thebag in a dust-tight manner, to pass the dust and dirt from the bag intosuch receiver or receptacle without any dust escaping to the atmosphere,to remove the dirt-laden receptacle leaving the necessary bag openingautomatically closed in a dust-tight manner.

Further objects of this invention are to add to the ease and certaintywith which the receptacle may be attached to the bag and to make suchattachment a natural and easy motion on the part of the operator whichincludes centering the receptacle in side guides, joining the receptacleto the lid or closure for motion in both the opening and closingdirections, and to stop the said motion by stops whereby the movement inboth directions for both receptacle and closure are positively limitedin extent.

A further object of this invention is to provide the above advantageswith an inherent automatic locking function whereby the closure islocked shut excepting only when it is unlocked automatically by thereceptacle when the receptacle is used for removing the dirt from thebag, and whereby the closure is again locked in the closed positionautomatically when the receptacle is removed from the bag.

Other objects will appear as the invention becomes more clearlyunderstood.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application oneembodiment only of the invention has been disclosed for illustrativepurposes. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a vacuum- 55 cleaner with a bag showingthe mechanism.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of said port-and-closuremechanism.

'Figure 3 is a perspective view of the dirtreceptacle.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a similar view showing the dirtreceptacle turned to unlockclosure.

Figure 7 is a section on the same plane as Figure 6 showing the closureopened andthe dirt-receptacle covering the port.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8 8 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Figure 6.

Figure l0 is a section on the line Ill-I0 of Figure 2.

Figure 11 is a rear view of the sliding closure member.

On the under side of a dirt-bag I being of conventional or other form,on a vacuum-cleaner 2 is disposed a port-and-closure structure 3 (shownin enlarged perspective in Figure 2). The structure comprises the meansnormally attached to the bag whereby the dirt may be emptied from thebag without removing it from the vacuum-cleaner. Thev port-and-closurestructure 3 comprises an internal frame 4 having a central port oropening 5. It is sewn into the bag fabric 6 which is joined to an innerfabric 1 the latter preferably of rubberized material in order to obtaina smooth inner surface in the area near the opening 5 to which dust anddirt do not readily adhere and on which they freely slide. Normally theopening 5 is closed by a slidable closure 8 composed preferably of aflexible material such as a sheet of vulcanized rubber, or fabric andrubber, or rubber otherwise reenforced. The closure 8 slides beneathlongitudinal guides or rails 9 and I0 which are provided with wing-likefaces II and I2 at the upper end and mushroom-headed rivets I3 and I4 atthe lower end, the purpose of which will appear presently. The guides 9and I 8 are joined rmly to the frame l as by rivets directly through thefabric of the bag. 'I'he closure 8 is provided with a rigid bar I5 l'ofspecialized form at the top firmly joined thereto as by rivets andanother somewhat similar bar I6 at the bottom similarly joined thereto.The bars I5 and I6 have lateral projections on their ends as at I'Iwhich are raised sulciently to slide on the upper side of the guiderails 8 and I8. The cross-bar I5 is port-and-closure further providedwith an inwardly bent lip or lips I3 for engagement with a'cooperatinglip on a dirt-receptacle 20 in a manner presently to be described.Projections I1 on either end of the cross-bars I5 and I3 areprovided anddevised for the purpose oi' engaging the under side of the mushroomrivets I3 and I4 when the closure has reached its extreme movement.Projections I1 on the cross-member I6 engage the mushroom rivets whenthe closure is in the fully closed position and those on I5 engage themwhen the closure is in the fully opened position.

A dirt-receptacle 20, provided with a handle 30, and with outwardlyextending side flanges 3I and 32 is devised to slide beneath the guiderails 9' and I0. There are also flanges 33 and 34 for the purpose oi'maintaining dust-tight contact with `the fabric-covered frame 4 at theends of the dirt-receptacle when in use. 'I'here is a further reentrantflange 35 on the forward end of the receptacle, i. e. opposite thehandle end.` The reentrant flange 35 is devised to engage the inwardlyprojecting flanges I8 of the cross-bar I5 primarily for the purpose ofdrawing the closure 3 to the closed position. The flange 35 has anotherfunction. however, namely, that of unlocking and locking the closure ina closed position-unlocking it when it is to be opened for emptying dirtinto the receptacle, and locking it when the receptacle is removed fromthe portand-closure mechanism-the locking function being whollyautomatic. Joined to the under side of the cross-bar I5 there is a flatspring 31 extending from side to side of the closure and joined to it bysuitable means such as spot-welding at 38 and having the tips ofthespring free and constantly impinging on the under side of the rails 9and I0.

When the bag is to be emptied the receptacle 20 is joined to the closureB for filling purposes as shown in Figure 5, then turned 90 in thedirection of the arrow, to a position shown in Figure 6, then pushed onto the port-and-closure structure, in the direction of the arrow shown,until the cross-bar I5 engages the mushroom rivets I3 and I4. The portor aperture 5 will then be covered by the receptacle as shown in Figure'1.

The guide flanges II and I2 are highly Valuable in the practical conductof the operation just described. The operator of this device being theaverage housewife this progressive operl ation must be accomplishedwithout the exercise of mechanical intelligence. Hence it is highlydesirable that the flange 33 of the receptacle 20 be centered betweenthe rails 9 and I0 almost with the eyes shut. This is accomplished bymeans of the flanges II and I2 between which the nose of the receptacleis so easily placed while the flange' 35 is hooked over the cross-barI5. After the receptacle is given its 90 swing it may be pushed as faras it will go parallel with and caught beneath the rails 9 and I0,(being stopped, of course by the mushroom rivets I3 and I4). After thedirt has been shaken into the receptacle and the handle of thevacuum-cleaner raised as shown in Figure 1, the receptacle 20 by meansof its handle SII may be pulled straight toward the operator as far asit will go, (i. e. until the cross-bar I6 engages the rivets I3 and I4as in Figure 2). Then, when the receptacle is turned horizontal, itpromptly disengages itself. The foregoing operation has been performedwith the dust-beclouded atmosphere ofthe inside of the bag scarcelycommunicating with the outside atmosphere, while the closure is closedand latched in a dust-tight manner.

To make the'locking mechanism fully understandable it is necessary torecite it in the following detail. When the reentrant flange is hookedunder the flange I3 of the cross-bar I5 in the manner shown in Figure 5,the receptacle is joined to the port-and-closure mechanism in suchmanner that it may be released by the operators hand and it will hangthere thus attached. When the receptacle is rotated through the 90 arc,as illustrated between Figures 5 and 6, the flange 35 unlocks theclosure by raising the cross-bar I5 from its normal contact with the topside of guide rails 9 and I 0 to such degree that the turned portion nolonger engages the end of the rail 4I, l. e. raised so that it can bepushed over the'end of the rail (as shown between Figures 8 and 9)permitting the projections 40 to slide on the top side of the rail. Thismovement is resisted by the spring 31 which is obliged to slide on theunder side of the rail. When the closure is returned to its normallyclosed position and the receptacle removed the flanges 40 reengage theends of the rail, locking the closure shut.

I have provided on the under side of flexible closure 8 a flexible,yieldable material, such as fabric or felt 45, so that in cases wherefabric or other yieldable material are not present between closure 8 andframe 4 this yieldable material may provide the necessary dust-tightnessfor the abovestated purposes.

I claim:

A bag-emptying device for vacuum cleaners including a bag having anopening for emptying purposes, a rigid frame surrounding the opening andsecured to the bag, spaced, oppositely directed, inwardly extendingguides mounted on said frame, a closure slideable in said guides, saidclosure including a rigid cross bar extending along one edge thereof andhaving laterally extending projections at each end thereof and occupyingpositions on the outer side of said guides, closure latching angesformed on said projections normally overlying the upper edges of saidguides when said closure is fully closed, an inwardly extending lip onsaid bar in the medial regions thereof, and means for releasing saidlatching means comprising a member having a reverse flange portionproviding a hook designed for insertion behind said lip, the width ofsaid last mentioned flange being in excess of the distance between saidcross bar and frame whereby when said flange is inserted behind said lipand moved into a position normal to said bar said latching flanges willbe forced outwardly to clear the upper edges of said guides.

WARD LEATHERS.

